The present invention relates generally to fasteners, and more particularly to a new and improved U-nut fastener which is adapted to be mounted upon edge portions of panels, plates, or the like, and wherein each U-nut fasteners is uniquely structured so as to permit a plurality of U-nut fasteners to be nested, stacked, or collated whereby the fasteners are able to be used as a strip of fasteners within the magazine of a tool for serially applying the fasteners to the edge portion of the mounting plate, panel, or the like.
U-nuts are widely used as fasteners or support brackets within the automotive and other industries for mounting various components, such as, for example, modules, door panels, hinges, and the like, upon support panels, plates, beams, and the like. U-nut type fasteners conventionally comprise a U-shaped spring clip which has a flexibly resilient annular hoop or retainer ring, having a central aperture, partially sheared from a first one of the arms of the U-shaped spring clip, and an internally threaded sleeve or nut member which is integrally formed upon a second one of the arms of the U-shaped spring clip for threadedly receiving a threaded bolt or similar type fastener which is also passed through an aperture defined within the support plate or panel whereby the U-nut and bolt fasteners can be fixedly secured upon the support plate or panel so as to in turn secure one of the aforenoted components upon the support plate or panel. The second one of the arms of the U-shaped spring clip is also preferably provided with an upwardly bent forward edge or lip portion so as to facilitate insertion of an edge portion of the support panel or plate between the two arms of the U-nut.
U-nuts are thus mounted upon a support panel or plate by inserting, in effect, an edge portion of the support panel or plate into the space defined between the two arms of the U-nut fastener and subsequently sliding the U-nut fastener onto the support panel or plate until the flexibly resilient annular hoop or retainer ring engages and becomes seated within the aperture defined within the support panel or plate. The central aperture formed within the first one of the arms of the U-nut, and serving to define the annular hoop or retainer ring, also permits the passage therethrough of the bolt fastener, and still further, serves to somewhat guide the bolt fastener into engagement with the internally threaded sleeve or nut member formed upon the second one of the arms of the U-nut. Various types or various configurations of U-nut type fasteners are disclosed within U.S. Pat. No. 5,713,707 which issued to Gagnon on Feb. 3, 1998, U.S. Pat. No.5,294,224 which issued to Kent on Mar. 15, 1994, U.S. Pat. No. 5,039,264 which issued to Benn on Aug. 13, 1991, U.S. Pat. No. 4,798,507 which issued to Olah on Jan. 17, 1989, U.S. Pat. No. 4,793,753 which issued to Muller et al. on Dec. 27, 1988, U.S. Pat. No. 4,729,706 which issued to Peterson et al. on Mar. 8, 1988, U.S. Pat. No. 4,684,305 which issued to Dubost on Aug. 4, 1987, and U.S. Pat. No. 3,426,818 which issued to Derby on Feb. 1, 1969.
In connection with the sale and distribution of U-nut fasteners, the same are normally placed in storage bins in preparation for conveyance to packaging machinery, however, as can readily be appreciated, due to the unique structure of U-nut fasteners, the conventional storage of such fasteners usually results in the interlocking or entanglement of such fasteners. Such interlocking or entanglement of the fasteners prevents the efficient packaging of the fasteners, and in addition, inhibits the efficient and rapid use of such fasteners during installation procedures because, obviously, the interlocked or entangled fasteners must first be unlocked or disentangled from each other.
A need therefore exists in the art for a new and improved U-nut type fastener which permits and facilitates the stacking or nesting of such fasteners into a collated strip whereby the fasteners can be packaged in a substantially improved and efficient manner, and for a new and improved collated strip of such fasteners wherein the fasteners will be readily disposed or oriented for the easy removal or separation of individual fasteners from the collated or nested strip of fasteners and for the rapid installation by operator personnel by means of installation tools specifically structured for installing such separated U-nut type fasteners upon support plates, panels, or the like.
Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a new and improved U-nut type fastener, and to similarly provide a new and improved collated strip of U-nut type fasteners.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a new and improved U-nut type fastener which effectively overcomes the various disadvantages and drawbacks of conventional U-nut type fasteners.
An additional object of the present invention is to provide a new and improved U-nut type fastener which permits the fasteners to be collated or nested into a collated or nested strip of U-nut fasteners so as to improve the packaging efficiency of such fasteners.
A further object of the present invention is to provide a new and improved collated or nested strip of U-nut type fasteners which enables the individual U-nut fasteners to be readily installed by operator personnel by means of installation tools which are uniquely structured for removing or separating individual U-nuts from the nested or collated strip and for installing the separated U-nut fastener upon an edge portion of a support plate or panel.
The foregoing and other objectives are achieved in accordance with the teachings and principles of the present invention through the provision of a new and improved U-nut type fastener which comprises a U-shaped spring clip which has a flexibly resilient annular hoop or retainer ring, having a central aperture, partially sheared from a first one of the arms of the U-shaped spring clip, and an internally threaded sleeve or nut member which is integrally formed upon a second one of the arms of the U-shaped spring clip for threadedly receiving a threaded bolt or similar type fastener which is also adapted to be passed through an aperture defined within the support plate or panel whereby the U-nut and bolt fasteners can be fixedly secured upon the support plate or panel so as to in turn secure one of the aforenoted components upon the support plate or panel. The internal diameter or diametrical extent of the central aperture defined within the annular hoop or retainer ring is substantially the same as the external diametrical extent of the internally threaded sleeve or nut member such that, for example, the annular hoop or retainer ring of a first upper U-nut fastener can be fitted upon or over the upstanding threaded sleeve or nut member of a second lower U-nut fastener whereby the fasteners can be nested or stacked in a vertical array. In addition, a lower one of the U-nut fasteners has an upturned edge portion integrally formed upon its upper arm for insertion within a recessed portion formed within the lower arm of an upper one of the U-nut fasteners such that the fasteners within the vertically stacked or nested array cannot rotate with respect to each other such that the orientation of the fasteners within the nested or stacked array is properly maintained. Still further, a dimple is provided upon the upper surface of the upper arm of each U-nut such that when the fasteners are stacked or nested, the dimple of a lower one of the fasteners engages the undersurface of an upper one of the fasteners so as to maintain the fasteners substantially parallel and spaced with respect to each other within the vertical array such that the aforenoted tools can engage the fasteners and serially separate the lowermost one of the fasteners from the vertically stacked array when installation of the same upon the support plate or panel is desired.